Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), a senior member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) and the Chairman of its Subcommittee on Children and Families, today announced the final two pieces of legislation in a comprehensive strategy to expand and strengthen service opportunities for all Americans.  He was joined by Senators Thad Cochran (R-MS) and Edward Kennedy (D-MA), the Chairman of the HELP Committee, in introducing the Semester of Service Act and the Encore Service Act.  These bills will target two distinct and critically important populations – young adults and Americans 55 years of age and older.

“Whether you are a junior in high school or a new retiree, serving your country can be one of the most rewarding and unforgettable experiences of your life,” said Dodd, a returned Peace Corps volunteer who served in the Dominican Republic.  “By harnessing the energy and enthusiasm of our nation’s youth and the wisdom and life experiences of older Americans, we can help meet many of our nation’s most pressing educational, environmental, and public safety needs through community service. Both bills I am introducing today – and every national service initiative I have championed – are based on the same fundamental idea:  that the desire for new, shared experiences and the opportunity to serve are never limited by our age, our race or our economic standing, but rather, are broadened by our imaginations, our idealism and our love of country.”  

“More than three years after Hurricane Katrina destroyed the Mississippi Gulf Coast, students and adults from across our country continue to come to our state to serve in the rebuilding effort,” said Cochran.  “These people have lifted the spirits of the Mississippians they have served, but I believe this type of service can change the lives of those who serve as well. I am proud to sponsor this legislation, which will encourage young people and adults alike to contribute to a cause greater than themselves, and in the process change both their lives the lives of those they serve.”

The Semester of Service Act will offer students in their junior or senior year of high school the opportunity to spend a semester participating in community service-learning for academic credit.  The legislation would create a competitive grant program that enables school districts, or nonprofits working in partnership with local school districts, to teach civic participation skills and help young people see themselves as resources to their communities.  Semester of Service students would be required to complete a minimum of 70 volunteer hours over 12 weeks. Under the proposal, at least 24 of the 70 hours must be spent participating in field-based activities.  The bill is endorsed by Youth Service America, the National Service-Learning Partnership at the Academy for Educational Development, and Innovations in Civic Participation, among other organizations.

The Encore Service Act will harness the expertise of older Americans by creating the Encore Service and Silver Scholars programs, which offer stipends and educational scholarships to citizens 55 years of age and older who volunteer their time and knowledge to help communities in need.  The bill would also create the “Encore Fellows Program,” which would place Americans 55 years of age and older in one-year management or leadership positions in public or private nonprofit organizations.  Any education scholarships awarded may be transferred to children, grandchildren or other designees.  The Encore Service Act is endorsed by the AARP, Easter Seals, National Association of RSVP (Retired and Senior Volunteer Program), and the National Association of Foster Grandparent Program Directors, among other organizations.     

Over the past two years, Senators Dodd, Cochran, and Kennedy have also introduced the AmeriCorps: Together Improving Our Nation (ACTION) Act, which would help make college more affordable for AmeriCorps volunteers and elevate the Corporation for National and Community Service to Cabinet-level status, and the Summer of Service Act, which would create a competitive grant program to enables states to offer students transitioning from middle to high school an opportunity to participate in community service programs through the summer months.

For a summary of the Semester of Service Act, click here.

For a summary of the Encore Service Act, click here. 

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